Page 16 of Tempting Frey
“I bet poor Edward Limbaum has no idea someone wrote a complaint in his name,” Oliver said. He was grinning now, a pink flush on his cheeks. He looked happy with his discovery, as he should be.
“But who’s doing it?” Jesse asked.
Chickie slapped his palm on the desk. “Looks like I have a detective job on my hands. Nice catch, Ollie.”
“Thank you, Oliver,” I said, surprised my voice worked.
“Phew.” Morris slumped in his chair. “So nobody’s going to chuck eggs at me next time I take a walk across town?”
“One person might,” I said.
Morris threw me an annoyed look. “Like it was my idea to lay cables all over town.”
“The fiber optic project is great,” Oliver said. “This will boost the town more than anything that’s happened here in the last decade.”
Morris looked unconvinced, but Jesse jumped in with the next bullet on the agenda.
My staff discussed the upcoming solstice celebration and the summer market, and I let my thoughts drift. How come none ofus noticed the similarities between the letters? And Oliver took one look at them… He was way too clever to be marinating here. He’d get bored and quit.
Good. Then I’ll be able to breathe again.
Suddenly, a chair screeched. Oliver stood. “Can I open the window?”
Jesse looked taken aback. “Of course. It’s getting hot in here, isn’t it?”
Oliver pressed himself through the gap between the chairs and the wall. Chickie and Morris had to move forward to let him pass. He struggled with the latch. Then the air in the stuffy room moved, and I inhaled a much-needed dose of oxygen. Thankfully, Oliver’s scent weakened.
“Thank you, Oliver,” I said without thinking.
He gave me a puzzled glance. “Of course.”
Even so, I barely heard what the others talked about for the rest of the meeting. I stared at their faces, at their mouths moving, as I tried not to look at Oliver. Even with the fresh air streaming in, I caught whiffs of him. He must have been using some kind of perfume. Nobody smelled like this naturally. Maybe I could make it a town hall policy—no artificial fragrances in the town’s official buildings. People have allergies, right? Bears did not, but we had people living in Beauville who could be allergic.
“I’m not saying we need to review the zoning,” Oliver said, bringing me back to the present. “I only want to have a look at it.”
“We’re too small to justify employing a planning and zoning officer,” Jesse told him.
“And I’m not saying we should.”
“Why shouldn’t Ollie have a look?” Chickie said. Oliver glared at him, and Chickie shrugged innocently.
“We haven’t had any new businesses start up here in years.” For some reason, Jesse sounded defensive.
I was about to speak up, but Oliver was faster. “When I showed you the draft of the economic strategy, you liked the ideas I presented, right?”
Morris, Monty, and Jesse all mumbled in acknowledgment.
“I’ve been updating it as I’m learning more about how it works here.” He made a circle in the air with one hand, and something in his tone suggested he wasn’t happy about how thingsworked here. Huh. I wouldn’t have guessed Oliver would stir shit on his first day at work.
“When were the zones last reviewed?” he pushed.
Pursing his lips, Jesse looked at me.
“They weren’t,” I said. “There was no need.”
“How old are the town plans, then?”
I exhaled through my nose. He wouldn’t like my reply. “Mid-eighties, I think.”
